The hardy group of supporters who worked all Saturday morning to get the pitch fit for play were rewarded by a battling performance which saw the Rams grab all three points and leap-frog their opponents into 11th position. And the Chairman had the bonus of a bumper crowd fuelled by postponements elsewhere which would have been at least a 100 less had the game had to be rearranged. So after a busy and challenging week there is a strong case to be made for all round contentment.

There was nothing pretty about this victory - in all honesty the Rams will play better this season and lose - but the win, against a high flying and skilled Lancaster team was all the more satisfying for that.

Robert Louis Stevenson's Victorian melodrama about Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is much more than a story of scientific experimenting going wrong - it begs the question of whether it is the good suppressingthe bad or the bad escaping the virtues of the good.

In the end this was a tale of two penalties - one coolly put away by Adam Kay to claw the Rams level on the hour, the second a superb save from Martin Fearon with just five minutes left to keep the Rams level. In truth if that had gone in the Rams, devoid of a cutting edge, would have returned empty handed which would have been a harsh judgment on a courageous defensive effort which on balance merited a point.

Like Longfellow's little girl when the Rams are good they are very very good but when they are bad they are horrid.What was most disappointing was not that this was a pretty bleak and disjointed showing but that at even that level and with the share of possession they had the Rams should have got something from the game against a Mossley team who were not match better. So this was a poor game spoiled and made worse by arefereeing performance that was consistent only in its mediocrity.

Ramsbottom United picked up a useful three points on a rare Friday night fixture at the Harry Williams Riverside Stadium, against a Kendal Town side who edged the first half, but fell away during the controversial second period.

Having pushed a team two divisions above before exiting a cup competition on Saturday, the Rams almost went one better only succumbing to Workington, who are currently sitting eighth in the Evo-Stik Premier League in the league cup on penalties.

Midweek away games are never easy in this league and never more so when they are away on a filthy evening on the dark side of the Pennines against the league leaders. So to come away with a point in any circumstances would have been an achievement.

The Rams could, should and would have got a deserved point out of this game except for an unfortunate mishap by keeper Ashley Shenton. While never reaching the level of performance achieved at Colne, they will know that while to come away empty handed was very disappointing, defeats of this kind are always on the cards in a league in which away games are always a challenge and that the reverse can reasonably be seen as a blip in the upwards trajectory of performance and not a reverse into the despond of the early season.

Do not expect to read here words describing a plucky cup performance by a lower league team playing out of their skin and nearly embarrassing their more illustrious visitors. That was not the performance given by the Rams on Saturday.

There are not many dull moments or poor matches to be had at the HWRS Stadium at the moment.If you want to see open enterprising and honest football that is the place to be so it was a bit of a disappointment that the attendance at this riveting match was only just over 200 (four of whom where from Texas).